Al-Rahi Calls for Soul-Searching on Strikes, Illegitimate Arms, Vote Law
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday criticized the procrastination of the government in referring the new wage scale for the public sector to the parliament and urged politicians for some soul-searching over the proliferation of illegitimate arms and the controversial electoral law.
“Are your consciences clear to the strike of teachers and the closure of schools?” al-Rahi asked politicians in his sermon.
The Syndicate Coordination Committee set on Saturday a plan highlighting its measures for the second week of its open-ended strike.
The SCC, a coalition of private and public school teachers and public sector employees, vowed to go ahead with its strike until the government refers urgently the new scale to the parliament.
“Where is your conscience from the increasing spread of illegitimate arms that is limiting the role of the state by the day?” al-Rahi wondered.
He also criticized the kidnap-for-ransom phenomenon that has recently spread in Lebanon. The latest abduction was that of a 12-year-old schoolboy in Beirut.
Al-Rahi also slammed politicians for “threatening the (Lebanese) entity and putting the fate of the entire nation at stake.”
On the controversy on the electoral draft-law, the patriarch said the officials were making proposals that would serve their interests instead of the nation.
“Where would your consciences be when God forbids the elections are not held on time?” he wondered.
Al-Rahi travels to Russia on Tuesday on a three-day pastoral visit during which he is scheduled to meet with the Russian Speaker Sergey Naryshkin and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill I.
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